Bulk product loader



Aug. 4, 1964 J. D. TEAGUE 3,143,372

Y BULK PRODUCT LOADER Fi led Jan. 22, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet I INVENTOR.

JAMES a TEAGUE ATTORNEY Aug. 4, 1964 J. D. TEAGUE BULK PRODUCT LOADERFiled Jan. 22, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY L23 J \H I W ATTORNE Y UnitedStates Patent 3,143,372 BULK PRODUCT LOADER James D. Teague, 3361 OakKnoll Drive, Los Alamitos, Calif. Filed Jan. 22, 1962, Ser. No. 167,7382 Claims. (Cl. 294-41) This invention relates to a bulk product loaderwhereby granular material may be loaded into a container and transportedin that same container to its final destination, and then unloaded fromthe container at the place of use.

An object of my invention is to provide a novel bulk loader into whichgranular material may be loaded and kept dry and safe from contaminationwhile the material is being transported from place to place by means ofship, train, truck, or the like.

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel bulk loader whichis provided with releaseable doors at the bottom which can be opened topermit the granular material to flow from the load by gravity.

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel bulk loader whichis provided with a novel latching means for the doors which can beeasily released, either manually or mechanically as might be required.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a novel bulk loaderin which the granular material can be loaded through appropriate accessholes through the top wall or roof of the loader.

Still another object is to provide a means of lifting and moving thebulk loader from place to place in order to position the loader in thehold of a ship, or in a railway car, truck, or the like.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention may appear from theaccompanying drawings, the subjoined detailed description and theappended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective of my bulk loader.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the same.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation of the same as viewed from the right-handside of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation of the same as viewed from the left-handside of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken on line 55 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the area numbered6 in FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGURE 6 but showing the door in openposition.

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the area indicatedat 8 in FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 99 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 10 is a sectional view taken on line 1010 of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 11 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the areaindicated at 11 in FIGURE 10.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, my bulk product loaderconsists of a plurality of side walls 15, which are preferably formed ofa suitable metal and are welded or otherwise attached at their abuttingedges to form a complete rectangular inclosure. A roof or wall 16incloses the top of the loader and the roof is slightly domed or curvedupwardly for the purpose of drainage. A plurality of access holes 17 areprovided in the roof 16 to permit granular material to be poured intothe loader to fill the same. Appropriate covers 18 inclose the manholes17 to seal ofi these access holes during transportation.

In order to lift and move the loader from place to place I may providetransversely extending angle members 19 and 20, one on each side of theroof 16, and these angles are engaged by a suitable lifting jig 21, theangles of which ice engage the angles 19 and 20 so that the entire loadcan be lifted from a boom and carried to an appropriate position in theship, car, or the like.

To inclose the bottom of the loader I provide two doors 22 and 23. Thesedoors are both hingedly secured at one edge to one of the walls 15, byhinges 22' and 23 respectively so that they can be swung into open orclosed position during unloading and loading of the bulk product withinthe loader. The door 23 is somewhat shorter than the door 22 and forthis reason this shorter door will close first in order that the innerabutting edges of the two doors may partly overlap when closed. Theinner edges of the doors 22 and 23 are tapered, as shown at 24, toprovide an overlapping edge, and these overlapping edges are sealed by aflexible sealing strip 25. The space between the doors 22 and 23 and thebottom edges of the walls 15 may be sealed by a flexible strip 26attached to the bottom edges of the walls 15, if this is necessary. Atthe hinged end of the doors 22 and 23 a flexible seal strip 27 may beprovided, which is engaged by a solid weather strip 28 attached to thedoors 22 and 23.

In order to hold the doors 22 and 23 in closed position, I provide alatch mechanism which consists of latch fingers 29, which are attachedto each side of the door 22 and project upwardly a suitable distance tobe engaged by a latch mechanism, to be subsequently described. Thefingers 29 are a rigid part of the door 22 and move arcuately adjacentto a wall 15 of the loader.

A latch mechanism to engage the fingers 29 consists of two horizontalbars 30 and 31, which extend horizontally and are pivotally mounted tothe Walls 15 as follows: an ear 32 and 33 is formed at each end of thebars 30 and 31, and these ears are pivotally attached to the side walls15, as best shown in FIGURE 1. A latch block 34, attached to the insideof the bar 30, is positioned between the finger 29 and a block 35 tohold the finger 29 securely in vertical position and thus hold the doors2223 closed. A handle 36 extends between the ears 32-33 and this handlemay be grasped by the workman to swing the bar 31 either inwardly oroutwardly, to either engage the finger 29 and latch the doors 22-23 inclosed position, or to release the finger 29 and permit the doors 2223to open under the weight of the granular material within the bulkloader.

T o prevent the doors 22-23 from accidentally opening in transit, thefingers 29 may be locked in a position to hold the doors closed by meansof a hook 37, which is pivotally attached to a side wall 15 of the bulkloader and which hooks over the finger 29, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 4,to hold that finger in vertical position and with the doors 2223 closed.

In Operation The bulk loader doors 22 and 23 are closed and latched byswinging the doors inwardly until their meeting edges overlap, and withthe finger 29 in vertical position. The latch bar 30 is now swunginwardly so that the block 34 engages one edge of the finger 29, thusholding the doors 22-23 closed. At this time the hook 37 may also beswung over the finger 29 to further insure that the doors 2223 willremain closed. The access hole covers 18 are now removed and the entirebin is filled with the desired dry granular bulk material. When the binis full the access hole covers 18 are replaced and the entire bin orbulk loader can be moved into the hold of a ship or in a car, as mightbe required. The bins are thus moved from place to place with theirgranular contents, and these bins are so sturdy and the various jointsthereof are so sealed by appropriate packing that the contents willremain dry and uncontaminated.

Having described my invention, I claim: 1. A bulk product loadercomprising a bin having side Walls and a top, a pair of bottom doorshingedly mounted on two opposite side walls, the inner edges of saiddoors overlapping, a finger extending vertically from that one whichextends beyond the other, and a latch bar hinged on the side walls ofthe bin and having a block located thereon to engage behind the fingerto prevent swinging thereof and release of the bottom doors, and anadditional locking means for the finger in the form of a hook pivoted ona side Wall and eng'ageable about the upper end of the finger.

2. A bulk product loader comprising a bin having side walls and a top, apair of bottom doors hingedly mounted on two opposite side Walls, theinner edges of said doors overlapping, a finger extending verticallyfrom that one which extends beyond the other, and a latch bar hinged 1;,

on the side Walls of the bin and having a block located thereon toengage behind the finger to prevent swinging thereof and release of thebottom doors, and an additional locking means for the finger in the formof a hook pivoted on a side wall and engageable about the upper end ofthe finger, said top having an access hole therein.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS221,847 Moore NOV. 18, 1879 884,687 Stuebner Apr. 14, 1908 986,101Stuebner Mar. 7, 1911 1,671,832 Lyon May 29, 1928 1,760,305 Fildes May27, 1930 1,847,158 Woodrufi Mar. 1, 1932 1,966,199 Coffey July 10, 19342,036,170 Fildes Mar. 31, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS 314,580 Great BritainJuly 1, 1929

1. A BULK PRODUCT LOADER COMPRISING A BIN HAVING SIDE WALLS AND A TOP, APAIR OF BOTTOM DOORS HINGEDLY MOUNTED ON TWO OPPOSITE SIDE WALLS, THEINNER EDGES OF SAID DOORS OVERLAPPING, A FINGER EXTENDING VERTICALLYFROM THAT ONE WHICH EXTENDS BEYOND THE OTHER, AND A LATCH BAR HINGED ONTHE SIDE WALLS OF THE BIN AND HAVING A BLOCK LOCATED THEREON TO ENGAGEBEHIND THE FINGER TO PREVENT SWINGING THEREOF AND RELEASE OF THE BOTTOMDOORS, AND AN ADDITIONAL LOCKING MEANS FOR THE FINGER IN THE FORM OF AHOOK PIVOTED ON A SIDE WALL AND ENGAGEABLE ABOUT THE UPPER END OF THEFINGER.